Does scanner listening stuff go here? Trunking related

[N8YX]

We don't have an SWL/UTE/scanner section of the forum so I thought I would throw the following out here for general consumption and discussion:

The BC396XT/BC996XT - re-banding, trunk tracking and P25 Phase 1...

Or, "How I spent my Christmas learning to stop worrying and love the Uniden bomb!"

Our town's PD/FD trunking system recently disappeared from my scanner, so I decided to do a little bit of digging on Radio Reference and try to find out what was up. In short, the system was being upgraded and converted from a SmartNet to a P25 (digital) Phase 1 system. Naturally, the Talk Group IDs were changing. I read a Radio Reference thread by an area contributor which mentions a software package known as "Unitrunker".

Folks, this is one handy little utility to have. It'll lock onto a control channel in a standard or re-banded system then give you a list of TGIDs and other info.

You can then use another utility called "FreeScan" to build and upload a configuration to the scanner. FreeScan supports most late-model Uniden offerings, while Unitrunker operates in a Signal/Voice mode (with two scanners; one Control and one Voice recovery) and supports darn near any late-model receiver.

Akron/Summit County also underwent a re-banding earlier in the year so I programmed the second '996XT with the new channel info and turned Unitracker loose collecting TGIDs. I'll have to compare them with the current Radio Reference listing but a cursory examination reveals the latter is fairly complete and jives with what's currently in the second scanner.

About that P25 Phase 1 stuff: Summit County is currently using a SmartNet II/P25 hybrid system and is expected to implement a P25 Phase 2 system in the next couple years. So...all that nice Bearcat scanner gear I lined up for the car won't track or decode the entire county afterwards.

Thus, I'll be looking at the BCD536HP when released next year. It looks to be a slick receiver but dedicated no remote head (such as the RH96) will be offered. Uniden states a WiFi to Android connection and a phone app will take the its place.

[NY4Q]

I guess I'm lucky in the scanner world - out local PD/FD is still analog. Its probably a Micor or GE Master II.

[N8YX]

I found another nifty utility called "Pro96Com" which will let a RadShack Pro-96 or Pro-2096 do site analysis. That scanner won't decode P25 Phase II but at least I can get frequency and TGID info with it.

Also have a pair of Pro-2052s that I'm going to task with analog conventional and trunk monitoring as soon as I get the controller computers set up to accommodate them.

[NQ6U]

Fred, what scanner would you recommend for base station use?

[N8YX]

Fred, what scanner would you recommend for base station use?

What type of systems (analog trunk, P25 Phase I, II digital, EDACS, LTR, etc.) are in use in your area?

That'll be the determining factor on the model.

[kb2vxa]

I use BuTel ARC250 Virtual Control Pro software to program and control my BC796D without which I'd be lost fumbling through menus with the keypad, fat fingers don't help matters either. It's easy as Pi filling out the spreadsheet and making any changes as needed, the on screen control display makes things easier too rather than cocking my head down to look at the scanner. That is when I'm not doing something else with the computer like annoying you guys with the scanner on as I often do. Oh yeah, while most of the Radioreference guys don't know their asses from a hole in the ground the database is the most comprehensive I have ever used and unlike the now defunct Police Call book and later CD is always up to date.

http://www.butel.nl/

http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/

[NQ6U]

What type of systems (analog trunk, P25 Phase I, II digital, EDACS, LTR, etc.) are in use in your area?

That'll be the determining factor on the model.

I have no idea, but probably a digital trunking system of some sort. Assume I want to be prepared for whatever may occur in the near future.

On Edit: Checking Radio Reference, it seems to be mostly Motorola Type II SmartZone (trunked analog FM, I guess?) systems. I'm mostly interested in the SDSO, who patrol this area, and Heartland Fire.

[N8YX]

I have no idea, but probably a digital trunking system of some sort. Assume I want to be prepared for whatever may occur in the near future.

It's going to be pricy but the new BC356HP is a "future-mode" capable scanner which will decode P25 Phase II.

However...the thing won't decode NXDN at this point in time.

I looked up your county agencies on Radio Reference. There are two trunked systems of note - first is the 800MHz SmartNet II (analog/digital mix; digitally trunked) and second is the 700MHz P25 Phase I (all digital):

http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?ctid=219

A BC396XT, BC996XT or GRE PSE-500/600 would cover these...but...I wonder how long it'll be before the systems switch over entirely to P25 Phase II or one of the Motorola variants which the current models won't decode.

Thus, my recommendation for a '536HP - but if your county has no immediate plans to decommission its existing communications infrastructure I would look at a used 396 or 996.

[NQ6U]

They upgraded to what they have now relatively recently, after the last big fire in 2007, so I think they're going to stick with it for a while. Thanks for the info.